Welcome to the Cohen Lab @ California State University, Los AngelesCircadian rhythms, driven by an internal biological or circadian clock, are nearly ubiquitous and are found in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. Currently, cyanobacteria are the simplest organisms and only prokaryotes known to have a rigorously tested and robust circadian clock. We use the genetically tractable Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 as a premier model organism for studying the molecular details and regulation of the clock. The S. elongatus core oscillator, encoded by the kaiA, kaiB and kaiC genes, regulates global patterns of gene expression, the timing of cell division, and compaction of the chromosome. We use a combination of cell biology, genetics, biochemistry and molecular biology to understand how the Kai oscillator functions in the context of the three-dimensional cell. Additionally, we are interested in how the circadian clock is coordinated with the cell division cycle and synergizes with the environment to create robust oscillations in biological activities. Check out website if you want to learn more about what we do!
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Come visit us at:
California State University Los Angeles 5151 State University Dr. Los Angeles, CA 90032-8291 Office- La Kretz Hall (wing A), room 354 Lab-La Kretz Hall (wing A), room 331 |
